Vietnam urges Australia to remove ban on uncooked shrimp

Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, is working with Australia’s relevant agencies towards the early lift of Australia’s ban on the import of shrimp and uncooked shelled shrimp. On January 7, the Australian Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources announced the suspension of prawn and uncooked shelled shrimp imports from Asian nations in fear of white spot disease outbreaks in Australia. The ban took effect on January 9 and will last for six months. The MoIT has raised the issue at all bilateral meetings with the Australian side after the issue of the ban, expressing Vietnam’s concerns and asking Australia to consider removing the ban or replacing it with other measures with less negative impacts. Minister of Trade Tran Tuan Anh sent a public letter to the Minister of Trade, Tourism and Investment and the Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources in February of Australia on the matter in February. According to the MoIT, the Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources and the Minister of Trade, Tourism and Investment of Australia sent their replies on March 8 and April 30, respectively, explaining that the ban was based on regulations of biosecurity. They added that the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources is working on the matter, including reviewing import conditions for products targeted by the ban, in order to make necessary decisions for the resumption of safe trading activities of shrimp products soon. The Australian ministers… [Read full story]

Hanoi (VNA) - The Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources on February 6 announced a relaxation of the ban on importing shrimp, cooked or uncooked prawn meat products, according to the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia. Accordingly, dried prawns, shelf-stable prawn-based food products, irradiated bait for aquatic use, pet fish food, aquaculture feed, and uncooked prawns caught from the exclusive economic zone of Australia are subject to the ban lift. The lift came after the department found out that the risk of white spot virus outbreak is low. The ban took effect on January 9, 2017 after the white…... [read more]

The Vietnamese Government has accused Australia of "causing serious damage" to its prawn farmers and exporters and has asked the Federal Government to reconsider the ban on uncooked prawn imports. Federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce announced a six-month suspension on the import of raw prawns in January, following an outbreak of white spot disease in Queensland. Vietnam’s deputy minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh said the ban had damaged his country’s aquaculture industry, which exports about 55 million USD worth of uncooked prawns to Australia. "In our view, [the ban] is not in line with common practices and…... [read more]

Accordingly, dried prawns, shelf-stable prawn-based food products, irradiated bait for aquatic use, pet fish food, aquaculture feed, and uncooked prawns caught from the exclusive economic zone of Australia are subject to the ban lift. The lift came after the department found out that the risk of white spot virus outbreak is low. The ban took effect on January 9, 2017 after the white spot virus outbreak was found to erupt in shrimp farms in the southeast of Queensland state in December 2016. Later, shrimp shipments to Australia were destroyed or re-exported. Others transiting via Australia also faced strict examination. Vietnamese…... [read more]

In 2010, Vietnam has been successful in transitioning from a low-income country to a middle-income country by fullly tapping domestic advantages and improving business environment for both local and international investors. However, Vietnam still faces challenges in terms of infrastructure, which has a negative impact on businesses’ operations. Hank Tomlinson, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam said that there were still shortcomings to the development of Vietnam’s infrastructure, especially in building roads linking to provinces and cities, bridges as well as strategic roads near seaports. This has negative impact on direct foreign investment in the country as…... [read more]

The Vietnamese minister made the call in his recent letter to the Minister of Commerce and Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Australia. On January 7, the Australian Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources announced the suspension of prawn and uncooked shelled shrimp imports from Asian nations in fear of white spot disease outbreaks in Australia. The ban took effect on January 9, 2017 and will last for six months. Right after the announcement, the Ministry of Industry and Trade instructed related bodies and the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia to update relevant associations and enterprises on the information…... [read more]